Internet Safety

Internet Safety

Follow these rules to stay safe online.

We would like to introduce some of newly qualified, externally trained CGSG Online Safety Ambassadors!

Students from Years 8,9 and 10 were invited to write a letter of application and from these, students were selected to attend an online safety ambassador training day. Students, identified by their CGSG Be Esafe Online badges, are able to support students with e-safety queries, run informative assemblies and support with student training.

The online safety ambassador group meet on a weekly basis to plan whole school initiatives and are currently busy planning an assembly to deliver to each year group with the aim of educating students about the dangers online and how students can best protect themselves.

CGSG is committed to doing all that we can to educate and protect our students in their use of ICT and the internet to re-enforce the responsibilities that our students have when surfing the web, we are also delivering e-Safety during PSHE and ICT lessons and through regular assemblies. This recent online ambassador scheme initiative follows a very informative parent/career e-safety evening run by the University of Kent last month.

Never give out personal details to online friends you do not know offline. Personal details include your e-mail address, mobile phone number, school name, any clubs you go to, arrangements for meeting up with friends and any pictures or videos of yourself, family or friends. Small pieces of information can easily be pieced together to form a comprehensive insight in to your life and daily activities.

Think carefully about the information and pictures you post on your profile; once published online, anyone can change or share these images of you. Do not to post any pictures, videos or information on your profile, or in chat rooms, that you would not want a parent or carer to see.

If you receive spam or junk e-mail and texts, never believe their contents, reply to them or use them.

Do not open files that are from people you don't know. They could contain a virus or an inappropriate image or film.

Some people lie online and that therefore it's better to keep online mates online.

Never meet up with any strangers without being in the company of an adult you trust.

Sites to visit for advice/help: www.thinkuknow.co.uk: the main UK Government website with advice for on how to keep safe online

www.ceop.police.uk: the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre [(CEOP) is the Government body dedicated to eradicating abuse of children. Concerns about inappropriate contacts between a child and an adult, including online, can be reported directly to CEOP. There is usually an option available to "report abuse to CEOPS ", on most social networking sites, like Facebook - simply click the "button".

www.iwf.org.uk: the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) works to remove illegal material from the internet. If you have found any material you believe to be illegal e.g. child sex abuse images or other obscene material, you can report it to the IWF.

www.childline.org.uk/ Childline is a service provided by the NSPCC, operated by trained volunteer counsellors. It is the UK's free, 24-hour helpline if you are distressed or in danger. you can call the free helpline for support: 0800 11 11.

www.there4me.com is another support service provided by the NSPCC. Using this website, you can talk confidentially to NSPCC advisors online about [any issues or problems you may be experiencing, using an application similar to Instant Messenger (IM).